24 Season 8: Episode 10 1:00am-2:00am Promo March 1, 2010

'24's' Kiefer Sutherland is cleared to return to work

February 23, 2010 | 11:29 am

20th Century Fox Television has told Show Tracker that "24" will resume production on March 1, now that its star and executive producer, Kiefer Sutherland, has been cleared by his doctors to return to work.

Sutherland underwent outpatient surgery on Feb. 16 after a cyst near his kidney ruptured a few days earlier.

Sutherland's representatives could not be immediately reached for comment.

But Jack Bauer is OK, America. You were never that worried about him, though, were you?

-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)

Photo: Kiefer Sutherland. Credit: Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

Is 24's Jack Bauer the Greatest TV Action Hero of All Time? OF COURSE HE IS!

Is 24's Jack Bauer the Greatest TV Action Hero of All Time?

by Matthew Jaffe TV.com Staff Writer 02/23/10 10:46 AM

To borrow a phrase, I come not to bury Jack Bauer but to praise him. When I heard about Kiefer Sutherland's surgery last week and the temporary shutdown of 24's production, it was a reminder how nothing lasts forever—with the possible exception of a conversation between two Lost fans at Comic Con.

Sure, it sounds like a temporary setback for Sutherland, but that ruptured kidney cyst made me stop and realize just how good he has been in this role. For all of24's innovations, from its real-time format to its (once) distinctive use of split screens, if you don't believe in Jack, you don't believe in the show. And while part of the sport of 24 is cherry picking its often implausible details and scenarios, Jack Bauer (with the possible exception of his eyewear choice when he went undercover a few episodes ago) remains largely above criticism. He's never the weak link.

A few provisos: I am decidedly old school in my take and inclined to put sci-fi characters into an altogether separate category. I also hold to minimum Hall-of-Fame-credentials standards, meaning that I expect my characters to have held their roles for at least five years. Steroid/HGH use is another issue entirely.

So let's be civil, shall we? This isn't Congress, you know. Here is a list of Jack's attributes, to serve as a starting point:

He's Got The Initials: James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Bauer. That's pretty good company right there.

He's Smart: Brawn will help you kill people, but brains will keep you from getting killed. Jack knows his aircraft, his computers, his gadgets, and his weaponry. But he's also politically savvy—the smartest guy in the room and the first to untangle the conspiracies that others are liable to miss. Micro and macro, Jack stays ahead of the action and rarely gets taken by surprise.

He's Tortured: Great heroes are typically haunted and motivated by a series of life events that have delivered them to the place where they end up being challenged. Being physically tortured is part of Jack's job description, but the pain he has endured at the hands of a world-class assortment of bad guys is matched by the emotional turmoil in his life: Jack's wife was murdered and his relationship with Nina Myers turned out to be a sham. Dad was a criminal master mind, killed Jack's evil brother, and took Jack's nephew hostage. Plus, until she grew up a bit, his daughter Kim made more bad decisions than a lesser Kardashian on roofies. As Dr. Freud might inquire, "So Jack, how does all that make you feel?"

He Tortures: For a Berkeley guy, Jack sure isn't afraid of a little extralegal action every now and again (and again and again). We'll leave the broader constitutional questions raised by 24 to Jack's fellow Berkeleyite John Yoo (one of the authors of the memos that allowed "enhanced interrogation techniques") and the ACLU to fight over. But in the unreal world of television, we like our heroes to do what is necessary to get the job done. Jack gets the job done.

He Looks Good in a Leather Jacket: An absolute requirement for action heroes. But you don't want to look too good. No pretty boys allowed.

He Plays High-Stakes Games: Jack is in the big leagues: presidential assassinations, nukes, jumbo-jets crashes, biological warfare, White House hostage crises. Literally and figuratively, you want him to take the last shot.

Who Else Would Play Him? Consider it a tribute to Kiefer Sutherland that it's virtually impossible to imagine anyone else in this role. And when I pondered alternate casting and asked some other 24 fans this question, the name that came up was invariably Steve McQueen. Steve McQueen!

With all that said, do you think Jack Bauer is the greatest action hero in the history of television? Discuss.

Follow TV.com writer Matthew Jaffe on Twitter: @MattAtTVDotCom

Source: www.tv.com

24 Season 8: Episode 9 12:00pm-1:00am Promo February 22, 2010

Source: www.youtube.com

24 Scene Maker: Jack's Escape S8EP8

Source: www.youtube.com

Kiefer Health Update

Kiefer Health Update

joncassar Just got word that Kiefer is resting and doing well. Thank you all for your well wishes.

about 3 hours ago from web
Source: http://twitter.com/joncassar

Virtual back lot from Stargate Studios brings the world to L.A. - latimes.com

COMPANY TOWN

Virtual back lot from Stargate Studios brings the world to L.A.

Low-cost green screen technology enables TV producers to film scenes of faraway places without traveling to them.

A film crew uses green-screen technology on a scene from the TV series "24." Stargate Studios will superimpose a video of the New York skyline on the image of the blue screen. (Bret Hartman / For The Times / February 3, 2010)
By Richard Verrier

February 17, 2010

A stone-faced Kiefer Sutherland, star of the Fox TV show "24," grabs the throttle of a mock helicopter propped up on a soundstage that has been wheeled in front of a giant blue screen.

The actor is performing on a stage inside a converted warehouse in Chatsworth, but the on-screen action -- a low-altitude aerial scene in which Sutherland's character, the intrepid Jack Bauer, is being chased by two Air Force helicopters -- is meant to take place over midtown Manhattan.

But the producers didn't have to fly to New York to capture the scene for an upcoming episode of "24," a costly, not to mention problematic, task given heightened security concerns about low-flying aircraft in New York. Instead, helicopter landing and take-off scenes were filmed in Valencia and downtown L.A., and producers used aerial footage of New York from a "virtual back lot library" compiled by Stargate Studios, a visual effects production firm in South Pasadena.

Brad Turner, director and executive producer of "24," says the availability of such technology was one of the key reasons the show has remained in Los Angeles despite the incentives luring film production out of state.

"It's a huge factor," Turner said. "Every day we get more and more roadblocks about what we can and can't do." But with the new technology, he noted, "I can create any environment I want."

At a time when Southern California is struggling to hold on to its movie and TV production industry, Stargate Studios has developed an advanced green screen technology that allows filmmakers to feature scenes from around the world without leaving L.A.

The green screen technology -- a film technique in which actors perform in front of a blank screen, typically green or blue, that is later replaced by an alternate background -- has been available for years, but mostly for feature films. The advent of low-cost digital cameras and more high-powered computers, however, has opened up the process to TV producers as well, creating opportunities for firms such as Stargate.

Stargate, one of several studios specializing in green screens, provides virtual environments for a growing number of locally produced TV shows, including "24," NBC's "Heroes" (set in New York and other locales), ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (Seattle) and TNT's "Saving Grace" (Oklahoma City).

"It's like bringing remote locations to L.A. rather than" traveling to them, said Stargate Chief Executive Sam Nicholson. "If you can bring the Vatican to L.A., then why go to the Vatican?"

Such questions inspired Nicholson, a visual effects supervisor and cinematographer, to launch Stargate in 1989,when digital technology was in its infancy. Today, Stargate generates $15 million in annual revenue and employs 150 digital artists, producers and technicians. The company has studio outposts in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, but most of its work is handled out of Los Angeles.

When he's not on film sets, Nicholson travels the globe, using lightweight digital cameras to capture footage of landmarks in cities such as Paris, New York, Tokyo and Rome. He has collected more than 1,000 hours of video consisting of 100,000 high-definition clips from 50 cities. This week he will go to Mumbai, India, to film a giant call center for an NBC pilot titled "Outsourced."

Shooting the video is just the first step. Next, Nicholson and his team must "stitch" together the various video clips to compose a panoramic picture. Visual effects artists then design a three-dimensional computer model of the video, which can be digitally manipulated to portray, say, a wide-angle street view.

Actors are afterward inserted or "nested" into the virtual world, by performing in front of high-resolution cameras and a giant green screen (although some are blue). Directors can see the finished product as they shoot, making the necessary adjustments to lighting and camera position -- just like on a regular film set.

"The camera becomes like a magic box you can see in," Nicholson said.

Of course, technology alone is not a solution for runaway production. Stargate itself learned that two years ago when production of a show it worked on, the ABC sitcom "Ugly Betty," relocated to New York from Los Angeles to take advantage of film tax credits offered there. The move prodded California to enact film tax credits last year.

Nonetheless, producers of some major network TV shows credit Stargate's technology for helping to keep their shows in town.

"Everybody wants to sleep in their own bed, but the economy is making that more and more difficult," said Dennis Hammer, executive producer of the sci-fi drama "Heroes," now in its fourth season. "This is a technology that, if it's used properly, can certainly make a stronger case for production staying in L.A."

richard.verrier@
latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Source: www.latimes.com

TWOP 10: SHOWS THAT SHOULD GET ANOTHER SEASON (BUT MIGHT NOT)

by TWoP Staff February 19, 2010 6:01 AM

1. 24
This show is expensive, but the ratings are perfectly respectable and Kiefer loves being Jack Bauer. Our gut tells us that it's going to come back for one more year, but if it doesn't, it'll be the end of an era and a premature finish. Seasons 7 and 8 have been just as compelling and absurdly fun as the show's early years, and that's without CTU mercilessly torturing people every week (a real-life policy change many thought would end the show). They've found a way to successfully reinvent the franchise without losing what made the series and lead character great to begin with, and for that, 24 deserves another 24 episodes next year.

Source: www.televisionwithoutpity.com

Feb 18th Happy Birthday Jack Bauer

February 18th:

Happy Birthday Jack Bauer

Many many more, and many more

Seasons of 24!

We love you Jack Bauer!

Get Well Soon Kiefer

Great News to hear that Kiefer is on the road to recovery!

Get Well Soon Kiefer - I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Kiefer is resting, after a successful operation today.10:00 PM Feb 16th from webhttp://twitter.com/joncassar

happy my boss is on the road to recovery and everything went well today (tuesday feb 16, 2010)

about 21 hours ago from web

http://twitter.com/marcimichelle

Thank you Jon Cassar and Marci Michelle for the update on Kiefer.

Source: http://twitter.com/joncassar and http://twitter.com/marcimichelle

GET WELL SOON KIEFER!

'24' shuts down production to allow Kiefer Sutherland to have surgery

February 14, 2010 | 11:42 am

20th Century Fox Television has temporarily shut down production of "24" so that star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland can undergo a surgical procedure related to a ruptured cyst near his kidney.

Although the cyst ruptured while he was working earlier in the week, production continued until Friday without him. His publicist, Evelyn Karamanos, issued the following statement on Sunday to the Times:

"While Kiefer Sutherland is frustrated to miss even one day of work, he and Fox decided together that it would be best to complete this minor elective procedure now as a precaution as opposed to six weeks from now when production wraps. He looks forward to returning to work next week."

Production will probably resume in one week. 20th Century Fox Television also issued a statement on Sunday:

"We are temporarily suspending production of '24' while our friend and colleague Kiefer Sutherland undergoes a medical procedure. We hope to resume production shortly and do not anticipate any disruption in the broadcast of this season's episodes."

-- Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)

Photo: Kiefer Sutherland at last month's Golden Globes. Credit: EPA

SOURCE: LATIMESBLOGS

24 Season 8: Episode 8 11:00pm-12:00am Promo February 15, 2010

Source: www.youtube.com

24's Jack Bauer - A Favorite Article of Mine

24's Jack Bauer - the New American Superhero

By Tara Bennett
posted: 17 January 2010 12:12 pm ET

Sometimes it almost seems impossible that Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland), the iconic hero of Fox’s mega-popular action hit “24,” started out as a pretty average guy.

Back in 2001 when the experimental real-time show debuted, Bauer was just the smart, well-trained Head of Field Ops for the Los Angeles Division of CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit). He was also a husband in a damaged marriage and the father of a typical rebellious teen. Yet in the seven ensuing seasons, Jack’s ability to thwart cataclysm after cataclysm has evolved the character into a modern day American superhero, the kind that could have easily originated from the pages of classic sequential art.

At the dawn of Jack’s eighth very bad day (the new season debuts with a two-part, four hour premiere on Jan. 17 and 18), it becomes clear that Bauer really launched into the realm of superhero after the murder of his wife, Teri, in the last moments of season one. Before that Jack had just been a wily, resolute hero with a passion for justice. After Teri’s death, he instantly morphed into a tragic hero who lost what was most precious to him in exchange for the safety of no less than the country.

From that moment on Jack shared the burden of so many traditional superheroes, from Spider-Man to Superman, who trade personal sacrifice for the greater good. Just in Jack’s case, the subsequent extreme days of peril also revealed some liberal dashes of The Punisher thrown in too.

And even though Jack’s costumes of choice include no latex or shiny shields, his bulletproof vests, dark jackets (and the occasional messenger bag) have become just as synonymous to him as the cape and cowl are to Batman. Though many may argue that Bauer’s “powers” of deduction, freakish bravery and dogged persistence against the enemy don’t have the pure comic book originations of say the bite of a radioactive spider, experimental serums or a metallic suit, in the eyes of the audiences that adore him around the world he’s no less potent or relied upon to bring evil down wherever it lurks.

The funny thing is that behind the scenes at “24” it’s now become a constant struggle for the entire creative team to prevent Jack Bauer from simply becoming the boundless superhero that the world at large accepts him to be. “24” executive producer and showrunner Howard Gordon admits that grounding the series in some semblance of reality by creating credible boundaries for Jack against the backdrop of the threat of nuclear destruction, bio-warfare genocide, or as is the case this season an assassination attempt that could impact world stabilization, is no walk in the park.

“I think it happens with any show where the thing threatens to become a parody of itself,” Gordon explains. “You have to grow the character and be mindful of that but also deliver what people come to expect. I think it’s a fine line that you know when you see it. And sometimes maybe we dip our toe over the line. Kiefer acknowledges it too. He’s established this iconic trademark character and it’s a potential hazard, but I think we’ve minded it fairly well.”

Maintaining that balance is where comic book heroes and their creators live all the time as their stories unfold, so it’s no surprise “24” is in the thick of that creative quandary too. The best comic book arcs are the ones that create real consequences no matter how outlandish the premise, and the best seasons of “24” are the ones that play out that thru line as well. And like the hero-centric books where characters can rise above instances of weak story, “24’s” remains such a dominant force because the show continues to orbit around the character of Jack Bauer and the man who plays him.

Executive producer and primary season eight series director Brad Turner says Kiefer really is the key.

“I think it’s the fact that he humanizes the character so much,” the director muses. “This guy has been a drug addict, screwed things up and is partly responsible for his wife’s demise. This character has flaws and [Kiefer] doesn’t mind playing the character that way and that’s one of the reasons we feel he could be the guy flying the plane or the helicopter or the guy driving the bus with kids to school. He’s not Spider-Man. Spider-Man can really do anything. But he’s kind of Spider-Man the bus driver, but he never puts his suit on. He’s so accessible and I think it’s why people really relate to his character. And he is great because I’ve seen him protect that character like I’ve never seen an actor protect a character. If we aren’t doing the right thing for [Jack], he will correct us and that’s a great thing. He’s now a person that you can actually believe that exists and live down the street from you. I think the first episode of [season eight] really exemplifies that more than anything because he’s just a grandpa. He’s not a superhero, he’s just a grandpa.”

“Jack is emotionally happy for the first time since season four,” Gordon confirms. That’s a turn in tone that’s just about as shocking as the nuclear bomb detonated on domestic soil in season six.

For his part, Sutherland says he loves that Jack is again motivated by very personal motivations. “Certainly in episode one of season eight, everything is tied to the fact that he is rebuilding a relationship with his daughter [Kim Bauer] and he is developing a relationship with his granddaughter. All of a sudden you’ve taken Jack from this very dark place that he’s been in for a number of years and you’ve given him a great deal of hope. So everything that happens to him over the course of this day, there is something great at stake. Again the motivation for Jack in almost every season up until now has been to run into the burning building and this year he is trying to stay out of the burning building so it’s a nice dynamic shift.”

But as day eight devolves into the chaos viewers have come to know and love, Sutherland says Jack’s convictions are what will see him through even when circumstances are at their most dire. “I think one of the things that I’ve always loved about Jack Bauer is that he never was a hero to me. The character is not a black and white character. He lives in a very murky, grey world. He saves the [future] President of the United States but he loses his wife. It’s not clear-cut for him. He doesn’t win the day in the conventional sense. There’s always collateral damage and there’s always something he doesn’t manage to protect. What grounds Jack to reality is that this is a character that regardless of whether he is always right or not, believes that what he is doing is the right thing to do and is doing it from a very good, sincere, honest place. As long as you try to play that cleanly the rest should follow...I hope,” he smiles.

And that to Howard Gordon is what makes Jack and “24” worth watching.

“He is a hero,” Gordon says emphatically. “You feel safe with him. You kind of want him on your side but you don’t want to go up against him. He cuts through the bullshit and those are attractive things.”

Source: www.newsarama.com

Source Writer: Tara Bennett

Rumor Patrol: Is TV's 24 Ending?

Rumor Patrol: Is TV's 24 Ending?

Will Freddie Prinze Jr. Become the New Jack Bauer?

Feb 9, 2010 12:18 PM PST by KRISTIN DOS SANTOS

David Wakeling/ZUMAPress.com; Jim Spellman/Getty Images

If a 24 movie really is in the works, someone should tell Kiefer Sutherland.

Just last month, Kiefer himself told us he wouldn't even consider doing a 24 movie until the TV show was done. "We have developed some ideas through 20th Century Fox Films," Kiefer said. "And we've all agreed that until we finish the [TV] series, we would not focus our attention on the film because this [the TV show] requires all of our attention. We're not starting a film anytime soon."

So now that a screenwriter has been hired for a 24 flick, does this mean the TV show is ending? Or how about the rumor that Freddie Prinze Jr. will take over in some capacity on TV? Here's the scoop…

According to insiders, the 24 movie might not be as close as recent reports would lead you to believe. While a rep for 20th Century Fox studios tells us, "We are in discussions with [State of Play andShattered Glass screenwriter] Billy Ray to write a script based on his original idea," I'm told that the movie will probably only happen after the TV series has ended.

And although there are no deals in place for a ninth season (the studio's contracts with both the network and with Kiefer expire this year), Kiefer has said he wants the TV series to continue on.

"This has been an unbelievable experience for me," Kiefer told us a few weeks ago. "It's been a learning experience, and unbelievably gratifying. So I've wanted to make this show as long as an audience is there to watch it. We've had the most loyal fans you can imagine stick with us from day one. So as long as they're watching, we'd love to make it."

Though 24's audience has dipped about 10 percent this season, it's still the third highest-rated Fox show, with more than 11 million viewers.

As for the rumors that season-eight addition Prinze (Agent Cole Ortiz) might get some sort of 24 spinoff, possibly with onscreen love interest Katee Sackhoff (Dana Walsh), Sackhoff herself tells us no one has talked to her about it: "I've heard the spinoff rumor, and I have no idea! I've heard this may be the last season, and I've heard this won't be the last season. There are so many factors that go into that, it's so far above my head."

The rumors most likely started up because Freddie's character Cole has been called "the new Jack Bauer," as he shares the same position (head of Field Ops) and background (ex-Marine) as season-one Jack.

However, reliable sources connected to 24 tell me flatly: There is no way there will be a spinoff with Freddie. "The producers love him," one mole says, "but it just won't be happening."

Well, there you have it.

The current eighth season of 24 will wrap production March 24, which means that the show's executive producers will have little time to write up a series-ending finale if Fox were to decide not to pick up a ninth season anytime soon.

And if 24 does return for season nine, it's highly unlikely the movie script would be written in time for shooting during this year's TV-show production hiatus.

Are you hoping for more 24? Big screen or small? Could you see the TV show continuing on with anyone other than Kiefer?

Source: www.eonline.com

24 Season 8 Cast Photos

Kiefer Sutherland

Annie Wersching

Mary Lynn Rajskub

Cherry Jones

Anil Kapoor

Freddie Prinze Jr

Katie Sackhoff

Mykelti Williamson

John Boyd

Chris Diamontopoulos

Bob Gunthan